Cars don’t have communications capability – yet, but motorcycles do. But then it’s important to have the ability to communicate between driver and pillion as well as for two or more motorcycles. There are many OEM companies making these comms devices (Check out an interview I did with Sena Technologies in this video at the AIMExpo, annual motorcycle convention ) that riders can choose from to make talking a pleasure while riding against the wind. However, it’s also a safety issue as I point out in an article about things you don’t initially think about when discussing motorcycle communications.
For this Christmas season, things just keep getting better with the introduction of Pack Talk networking from Cardo Systems, which allows a group of up to ten motorcyclists to talk, separate into two groups (to take the path less traveled) and then come back and join the initial pack. And the clarity of the conversation, due to Cardo’s noise suppression algorithm, is so good that it’s similar to having polite conversation sitting next to someone in your living room. It may not be obvious to non-motorcycle enthusiasts but when you’re traveling at Interstate speeds road noise is an issue so any noise from your communications devices makes talking very difficult. I had the opportunity to try this out when I visited my brother in the spectacular twisties in northeast Kentucky. It was such a pleasure to be able to talk in a relaxed manner, while navigating the curved roads, with someone who was a half-mile or more away! He knew the roads so he could drive ahead and tell me what to look out for and point out if there was any traffic. Driving around blind corners can be exhilarating but knowing beforehand what to expect makes it much safer.
More advances
Recently, BMW, Honda and Yamaha announced another shift forward with the establishment of the Connected Motorcycle Consortium that will collaborate to enhance cooperative-intelligent transportation systems (C-ITS) in powered two-wheelers. The three partners also encouraged other motorcycle manufacturers to join the consortium so as to further increase safety in powered two-wheelers. They expect the first products will be available in 2020. BMW Motorrad introduced Advanced Safety Concept as a test bed for advanced features such as ConnectedRide, which could provide the next step for vehicle-to-vehicle communications. It would include intelligent transport systems (ITS) that require the integration of information and communications technology including transport infrastructure, vehicles and users. Basic applications currently exist in GPS navigation systems, where real-time traffic information is provided such as rerouting advice based on traffic jams ahead. For road transport in particular, interoperable networked wireless communication between vehicles can enable road users to make coordinated and informed decisions about their route as well as allowing safer travel in busy urban environments.
BMW Motorrad showed off their Advanced Safety Concept in 2011 as a test bed for advanced features such as ConnectedRide, which could provide vehicle-to-vehicle communications.
These intelligent transport systems are expected to generate particular safety benefits in regard to powered two-wheelers (PTWs). They could offer a level of electronic communication that can be shared between riders and drivers of other road vehicles.
The three motorcycle companies have already gained experience of connected vehicle technology in several European field tests. Together with car makers and major suppliers, BMW Motorrad participated in simTD (www.simtd.de ) for a large scale field test carried out on connected vehicles in the greater Frankfurt area in Germany. Honda and Yamaha participated in DRIVE C2X (www.drive-c2x.eu ), a European ITS field test project. However, the ITS systems designed for cars cannot simply be transferred to motorcycles. Due to the limited space available, electronic systems have to be smaller and be resilient to water, dust and vibration. Since motorcycles exhibit different driving dynamics, software development and algorithms also need to be considered. But those are presents for a Christmas Future.
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